In modern times, there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of children born by Cesarean childbirth. This form of child birth significantly increases the cost to the healthcare system when compared to a natural vaginal delivery. In addition, the birthing mother needs significantly more time to recover from a Cesarean operation compared to a natural vaginal delivery. One cause attributed to this rise is the use of epidurals and pain relieving drugs during the labor and delivery process, which can desensitize the birthing mother from experiencing the natural body signals needed to push the baby through the birth canal and thereby ultimately delay the progression of childbirth.
Numerous labor monitoring practices have been implemented in attempts to monitor and manage the process of labor, including observing maternal and fetal heart rates, respiration, blood pressure, temperature, as well as the frequency and strength of uterine contractions. Specifically, intrapartum assessment of uterine activity has been used to first monitor labor progress and, second, to identify unsuccessful labor that results in Cesarean delivery. These intrapartum assessments, however, have focused on either non-invasive tools at the abdomen or invasive tools for vaginal wall, cervix, or intrauterine measurements. Non-invasive tools have included tocodynamometers and electromyography (EMG) electrodes placed at a location at the mother's abdomen during labor, while invasive tools have included intrauterine pressure catheters.
The current use of non-invasive tools, such as EMG electrodes at the abdomen of the mother, has been limited to measuring electrical activity of the uterus of the mother at rest and during contractions. Yet other factors also influence the probability of successful vaginal birth beyond contractions, including pelvic girth, child head size, and voluntary pushing forces. It has been estimated, for example, that voluntary pushing forces (exerted by the mother) may account for up to 30% of the expulsive force necessary to push the child from the birth canal. As a voluntary pushing force, the mother has a degree of control over how much and when it is applied. However, epidurals and pain relieving drugs may desensitize the mother to signals indicating that more force, or less, should be applied in voluntary pushing.
There are no currently available devices and methods that permit a healthcare provider to actively manage the labor and birthing process by monitoring pelvic floor activity to promote a higher incidence of vaginal births and, if desired in certain situations, manage the labor process to avoid potential damage to the mother such as pelvic floor injuries and anal sphincter damage. Thus, there is a need for devices and methods permitting the management of the child birthing process by monitoring pelvic floor activity.